A 76-year-old court-appointed lawyer in Washington, D.C., David P. Hayes, has been arrested on charges of sexually abusing a disabled client whom he was representing in a child custody case. Hayes faces a felony count of first-degree sexual abuse of a client after allegedly engaging in inappropriate and coercive conduct with the woman, according to court records and law enforcement officials.
The client, a developmentally disabled Black woman struggling with addiction, sought Hayes’s legal assistance through the D.C. Superior Court’s appointed counsel system after losing custody of her son amid allegations of neglect. In an affidavit filed in Superior Court, the woman alleges that Hayes, who is White, used his position to exploit her vulnerability. The affidavit includes numerous explicit text messages exchanged between Hayes and the woman, in which Hayes reportedly expressed sexual desire and made racially charged comments, including statements about impregnating her with a mixed-race child. One message referenced his anticipation of her becoming pregnant with his baby.
According to the affidavit, Hayes repeatedly pressed the woman to engage in unprotected sexual intercourse and oral sex, at times providing her with alcohol while she was attempting to maintain sobriety. The woman recorded some of her interactions with Hayes during visits, which reportedly included episodes where Hayes asked her to delete their text messages and demonstrated obsessive behavior by frequently texting and appearing outside her residence.
The woman initially reported the alleged misconduct to social workers at the D.C. Child and Family Services Agency (CFSA), but, according to her testimony before a grand jury, her claims went unheeded. Concerned by Hayes’s persistent advances and fearing for her safety, she eventually contacted the police in early June.
In response to inquiries, CFSA officials acknowledged their cooperation with law enforcement in investigating the "profoundly disturbing" allegations but declined to provide specifics, citing confidentiality laws. A spokesperson for D.C. Superior Court confirmed that Hayes has been a member of the court’s Counsel for Child Abuse and Neglect panel since 2003. Following his arrest, he was removed from eligibility to receive such cases.
At a June 26 hearing, D.C. Superior Court Judge Danya Dayson described the allegations as “extremely troubling,” emphasizing the breach of trust inherent in an attorney-client relationship. Although acknowledging the strength of the evidence thus far, Judge Dayson released Hayes under electronic monitoring with strict conditions, including confinement to his home, prohibition from contact with vulnerable adults, and a ban on legal work involving direct client interaction. Hayes’s defense attorney noted that his wife and daughter were present to support him during the hearing. Hayes has not yet entered a plea.
Licensed to practice law in D.C. since 1989 and currently in good standing with the D.C. Bar, Hayes has no prior public disciplinary record. Defense counsel and Hayes have not publicly commented on the allegations. The investigation is ongoing. The next hearing is scheduled for later this week.